If a team is going to lose its season home opener, it might as well do it so memorably that fans might remember it as part of team lore.
The table seemed to be set nicely for the Victoria Royals for what appeared to promise a Western Hockey League feast.
It was, only for Kamloops. The Blazers built period leads of 3-0 and 7-0 enroute to an 8-2 victory in the 2014-15 season curtain-raiser before 5,527 fans at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
That followed 6-3 and 3-1 road losses, as Victoria has spiraled to a wholly unexpected 0-3 start to the season, after setting franchise records last season for wins (48) and points (100).
Kamloops, meanwhile, is 2-1 after finishing a distant last in the Western Conference last year at 14-53-5. Both its victories this season have come against Victoria.
Forward Austin Carroll was returned to Victoria from the Calgary Flames just before the start of Friday’s game. That made the Victoria roster almost complete with Carroll, Joe Hicketts, Travis Brown and Axel Blomqvist now back from NHL camps. The only veterans missing were Brandon Magee, sitting out a 12-game suspension, and Keegan Kanzig, who is still with the Flames.
So the fans at the Memorial Centre had every right to expect a furious start for the Royals’ home opener. But the Blazers silenced the throng by scoring three goals by 12:43 of the first period.
“We were on our heels early and chased the game all night,” said Victoria coach Dave Lowry.
“The best thing about this night is that it’s over. The real question for us is how do we respond?”
The teams meet again tonight at the Memorial Centre.
All the first-period goals Friday came on just seven shots against starting Victoria goaltender Coleman Vollrath, who was pulled for the second time in three games this season and replaced by Evan Smith.
But the six-foot-six rookie from Colorado didn’t fare much better, with Smith allowing four goals as the Blazers built a 7-0 lead.
Then, in a move you don’t see often, the goalie who originally got the hook was put back into the game. Vollrath returned to the Victoria crease in the second period to relieve the beleaguered Smith.
“We didn’t play to our potential,” said Carroll. “We will learn from our mistakes and we’ll bounce back [tonight].”
Hicketts, newly minted as Victoria team captain before the game, and fellow defenceman Jack Walker finally scored for the Royals in the third period.
Deven Sideroff led Kamloops with two goals.
Blomqvist, under NHL contract to the Winnipeg Jets, was leveled by a check to the head in the third period by Kamloops defenceman Patrik Maier and had to be helped off the ice. The league will certainly look into that hit.
The league will likely also analyze Victoria defenceman Ryan Gagnon’s charging major in the second period.
